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Victoria’s Ryder Hesjedal won the stage’s first climb, a 13-kilometre ascent up Col de Manse, before settling into the peloton and finishing 43rd.

A portrait of Nelson Mandela is displayed in front of cyclists at the kilometer zero to celebrate the birthday of former South African President Nelson Mandela in Gap, before the start of the 172.5 km eighteenth stage of the 100th edition of the Tour de France cycling race on July 18, 2013 between Gap and Alpe-d'Huez, French Alps. (PASCAL GUYOT / AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

AG2r La Mondiale team rider Christophe Riblon of France celebrates as he wins the 172.5km eighteenth stage of the centenary Tour de France cycling race from Gap to l'Alpe d'Huez, in the French Alps, July 18, 2013. (JACKY NAEGELEN / REUTERS)

By Jerome PugmireThe Associated Press

Thu., July 18, 2013

L’ALPE D’HUEZ, FRANCE—Tour de France leader Chris Froome is so dominant that even when he loses time he extends his lead.

The British rider was hit by a 20-second penalty on Thursday’s 18th stage up L’Alpe d’Huez, but it made little difference as he increased his advantage over his main rival Alberto Contador to more than five minutes.

Christophe Riblon became the first Frenchman to win a stage this year, while Froome edged closer to becoming the second British rider to win the Tour, following Sky teammate Bradley Wiggins last year.

Contador tried to gain some time back, attacking aggressively on a downhill, but in the end Froome did it for him when he grabbed an energy bar from teammate Richie Porte with about four kilometres to go.

“I was really going into a little bit of a sugar low then,” Froome said. “I don’t know if it helped me.”

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Riders are forbidden to take food within six kilometres from the stage end.

“That’s one of those things that come with the race,” Froome said. Porte also got a 20-second penalty.

The 172.5-kilometre route from Gap to L’Alpe d’Huez featured two HC ascents of L’Alpe d’Huez — meaning they were so tough they were beyond classification, known as Hors Categorie.

Riblon caught American Tejay van Garderen with about two kilometres remaining, on the second ascent.

Riblon threw his hands up and pumped his fists after clinching the second Tour stage win of his career, three years after winning another mountain trek. Van Garderen finished 59 seconds behind in second, and Italian Moreno Moser was 1:27 behind in third.

Froome finished the stage 3:18 back in seventh, rolling in alongside Porte and nearly one minute ahead of the 11th-placed Contador.

Victoria’s Ryder Hesjedal won the stage’s first climb, a 13-kilometre ascent up Col de Manse, before settling into the peloton and finishing 43rd. He moved up three spots in the overall classification to 62nd.

Hesjedal also caused a stir on Twitter with his white-framed sunglasses, which look more beach casual than high performance.

One fan tweeted: “Somebody tell Elton John that @Ryder_Hesjedal has stolen his glasses!”

David Veilleux of Quebec City was 77th in the stage and improved to 128th overall, while Svein Tuft of Langley, B.C., was 158th Thursday and moved up to 173rd overall.

In this final week, there has been feverish media speculation about Froome’s dominance, prompting heated debate on social media, cycling blogs and mainstream media and prompting his Sky team to give assurances that he is racing clean.

“I can’t understand why the yellow jersey is being put on trial,” said Riblon, who was part of a nine-man breakaway that surged ahead early on.

On Thursday, Froome’s Sky team released his performance data from six races, including this Tour, to a French newspaper as it seeks to dispel any suspicions of doping.

“It’s crazy hearing people talk like this. Of course I’m human,” Froome said. “I know what I’m doing is right and I’m extremely proud of what I’ve done to get here. No one can take that away from me.”

Like players in a card game, Froome and Contador waited for the other one to show his hand on the first climb up L’Alpe d’Huez, with its 21 hairpin bends jammed with fans in a chaotic atmosphere.

But neither did.

Until the second one, when Contador was dropped by Froome. The two-time former champion just held on to second place overall, but he is 5:11 behind Froome, and only 21 seconds ahead of third-placed Colombian Nairo Quintana.

After dropping Contador, Froome suddenly slowed down, calling for assistance. Since no team car could get up to help him due to the thousands of fans around, Porte went and brought him back the energy bar.

“He’s just a super person, to have ridden the way he did today,” Froome said.

When Van Garderen and Riblon reached the top of the next climb together, the Col de Sarenne, they braced themselves for a long and razor-thin descent.

In recent days, Froome expressed concerns that the Sarenne descent, with its bumpy, pockmarked surface, was too dangerous. Riblon went off the road, and luckily for him he rolled onto a grass bank.

“I have a lucky star over me,” Riblon said.

Two days ago, Froome criticized Contador for riding too aggressively downhill, almost causing the Briton to crash. So, Contador attacked Froome almost immediately down Sarenne, passing him on the outside like a Formula One driver.

Contador, joined by his teammate Roman Kreuziger, opened up a gap of about 20 seconds but lost that advantage after a few minutes.

“We saw it wasn’t really a tactically brilliant move,” Porte said. “We sat back and relaxed and chased them back in the valley, and I think they might have paid for it a little bit.”

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